


Soulmates

by imagineteamfreewill



Series: The Switch [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angelic Possession, F/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 19:01:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20822267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imagineteamfreewill/pseuds/imagineteamfreewill
Summary: The reader's abrupt arrival at the bunker, as well as Cas’ reveal of her identity, make her first encounter with the Winchesters rockier than anyone could have hoped.





	Soulmates

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted on my tumblr of the same name on November 11th, 2018.

Your shocked expression was no doubt mimicked by Dean’s, but you paid him no heed as your brain tried to process Castiel’s words.

“I— What?”

“What the hell?” Dean asked, his voice covering up your own._ “Soulmates?”_ He didn’t bother to hide the disdain on his face as he stared at Cas.

Cas nodded. “Yes. Most people have a soulmate and many don’t meet theirs, but when I realized that Y/N was in danger…”

“What do you mean she was in danger?” Dean repeated. He cast a glance in your direction and you looked away, wrapping your arms around yourself as if you could protect yourself from the memories Cas’ words brought to mind.

“This isn’t the best place to discuss this,” Cas replied. “She needs to rest.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” you huffed, not dropping your arms as you looked up at him. “Just because you saved me doesn’t mean you can pretend like I can’t defend myself or take care of myself, Cas.”

Cas stared at you, as did Dean, until finally he cleared his throat and said, “Yes, of course. I apologize, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Nodding, you dropped your arms and stuffed them into the pockets of the thin sweatshirt Cas had picked up for you at a small store in Ohio. Dean glanced at you, quiet, then stepped out of the doorway to their strange home.

“It’s too dangerous to have this conversation out here. Don’t touch anything,” he added as you passed by him, following close behind Castiel. You didn’t even look his way as you stepped inside and peered around the small, dark room.

“What is this place?” you asked. The only light came from a single bulb on the tall ceiling, and there was barely enough room for the three of you in the small space. You heard Dean chuckle as he pushed past you, pulling something out of his pocket as he descended a spiral staircase you’d overlooked.

“Follow me,” Cas instructed, his voice kind. “This is the safest place in the world, and I promise that you’ll find it comfortable.”

You raised an eyebrow at that, but followed him anyway, keeping distance between yourself and Dean. He already hadn’t been in a good mood when you and Cas had shown up, and though you had a pretty good idea already, you couldn’t imagine how he was feeling now that he knew you were his brother’s soulmate.

In front of you, Dean stopped and stuck the object he’d dug out of his pocket—a key, you realized after a moment—into a strangely shaped slot in another metal door. It glowed faintly, and then the door swung open, revealing a room that took your breath away.

As you stepped inside, your eyes were immediately drawn to a table centered in the middle of the room, and you quickly climbed down the stairs to inspect it closer, ignoring Dean’s warning that you shouldn’t touch anything. The tabletop was a world map, and it was lit up, tiny red dots flashing all over the seven continents.

“What are the dots for?” you asked, looking over at Dean as he approached you, his expression sour.

“Don’t worry about it,” he gruffed. “I thought I told you not to touch anything.” He looked pointedly at the hand you were resting on the edge of the table, and you narrowed your eyes at him in return as you placed your other hand on the table as well. Dean let out an annoyed sigh and turned to look at Cas, who shrugged.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about,” you said. Dean huffed and walked away, moving into the library you’d been planning on exploring after Dean had answered your first question.

“Come on, Y/N,” Cas sighed, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Let me show you where you can shower and sleep. I’m sure you’d like to sleep in an actual bed.”

That word got your attention, and almost immediately a wave of exhaustion washed over you. Hope filled you as you turned to meet Cas’ eyes. You’d forgotten what it was like to sleep in a bed, and suddenly you wanted nothing more.

“You guys have beds here?”

Dean let out a sharp laugh at your question, and you glanced over to find him sitting at a long, wooden table, a glass tumbler in his hand. He took a sip of the amber liquid inside, his eyes focused on anything but you and your angel.

“Follow me,” Cas told you.

Reluctantly, you pulled yourself away from Dean and followed Cas through a large doorway. He led you through several endless, winding hallways, each one identical in appearance. Finally, he stopped in front of a wooden door. A brass number hung in its center, and you reached up with one hand, running your fingers over the two, then the zero.

“Any significance?” you asked, glancing over at him.

Cas shook his head, confused. “No. Why would there be?”

You smiled a little and shrugged. “I don’t know. You just seem like the kind of person who’d do something like that. Maybe I’ve got twenty siblings I don’t know about or something like that.”

Now Cas looked even more confused. “No. You don’t have any siblings. If you did, I would know. I know all about you, Y/N.” His voice was earnest and you couldn’t help but let out a little laugh, despite the fact that his extensive knowledge of your life was a little strange.

“I guess I should get some sleep,” you said, your hand resting on the doorknob.

Cas nodded once in reply, giving you a small smile. “There’s a bathroom down the hall to the right. I believe Sam has some soaps and shampoos you can use… I can get your bag of clothes from the car, if you’d like. I’m sure you’d like to change clothes, as well.”

“I think I’d rather just sleep for now. I’m sure you and Dean probably need to talk about all this.” You looked down at your hand, unsure of how to ask what was really on your mind. Before you could find the words, however, Cas said,

“You don’t have to worry about being kicked out, Y/N. Sam and Dean would never do that to you. They aren’t cruel men, even if they are a little…”

“Rude? Brusque? Angry?” you supplied.

“Wary,” Cas answered, shaking his head. “They’ve been through a lot.”

“We all have,” you countered. Crossing your arms over your chest, you asked, “What makes their lives any different than mine or anybody else’s, other than the fact that they apparently live in the safest place in the world and they didn’t bother to share it with anybody?”

Cas sighed, looking away. His brown hair—Sam’s brown hair—fell in front of his eyes, obscuring them from your view, and you had the brief thought that you didn’t truly know what Castiel looked like.

“It’s not my place to tell you,” he said, his voice solemn. “When Sam’s awake, you can ask him, but for now you should sleep. Goodnight, Y/N.”

And with that, Cas walked back down the hallway, leaving you alone in your new home.

* * *

After you finally fell asleep, you slept dreamlessly. That wasn’t unusual, but when you woke up in the small, warm bedroom of Castiel’s home, you couldn’t help but feel that you were dreaming. It took you a long time before you could finally convince yourself to leave the bed, and even when your feet touched the cold floor it felt as if you might wake up and find yourself in Cas’ car or, even worse, back in your dirty cell at the monsters’ compound.

You could hear voices coming from down the hall as you got ready for the day, looking at your reflection in the mirror above the sink on the far wall of your room. Cas had brought in your bag of things while you were sleeping, and you brushed your teeth and hair, then got dressed. The domestic feel of everything made you think of your life before the Switch, and you quickly pushed those unwelcome thoughts away. You weren’t about to start your day by crying over things that didn’t matter anymore.

When you opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the hall to try and find your angel again, you didn’t have to look very far. You ran into him almost immediately, your chest bumping against his long torso in the collision. He let out a grunt and you stumbled backwards into the wall, your back pressed against the cool tile.

“Sorry!” you cried, looking up at him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…”

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, you could tell that something was off. His tone was different and you frowned, peering at him for a moment before asking, “Cas?”

His eyes met yours and you swallowed thickly when you realized that the man standing in front of you was no longer Cas, but rather the man who was supposed to be your partner in life, your soulmate.

“No…” he replied, sounding unsure. His eyes were unfocused and he looked as if he’d just woken up from a long sleep. “No, I’m Sam… Are you… How did you get in here? Who are you?” The sleepiness in his eyes was quickly turning into awareness, and your heart clenched in fear when you saw him reach for his gun, his broad shoulders tensing instinctively. The gun wasn’t there.

“I’m a friend of Cas’,” you quickly told him, raising your hands, your palms flat as you surrendered. You didn’t want to risk him manhandling you since he found himself without a weapon. “You can take me to him if you’d like. I won’t try to fight back.”

Sam watched you carefully, then finally reached forward, grabbing your shoulders and twisting you so that your hands were behind your back. He held your wrists with one large hand and placed the other on your shoulder, keeping a light touch as he guided you forward down the hall. He led you to the kitchen, and when the two of you stepped into the room, both Dean and slightly shorter man in a trench coat turned to look at you. You met their eyes, keeping your gaze steady and your face calm as Sam stopped in you in the doorway.

“Cas?” he asked, his voice loud in your ear. “She’s a friend of yours?”

The man in the trench coat tore his gaze from yours and looked up at Sam, nodding once. “Yes. Y/N is…” He exchanged a looked with Dean, then finished, “She’s a friend. She’s not a threat. She’s a hunter, like you two. She got here while you were sleeping, Sam.”

Sam’s grip immediately loosened and you stepped away from him, positioning yourself so that no one was behind you. After a second, you looked over at Cas, smiling when you met his blue eyes for the second time.

“I think this body better suits you,” you admitted, and he laughed in response, crossing the room to pull you into a tight hug. Surprised, you hugged him back, then closed your eyes after a second. It had been a long time since someone had hugged you and you had to will tears away at the memory of the last time your mom had hugged you.

“You’re safe here,” Cas whispered into your ear before he pulled away. You nodded gratefully, dropping your arms back down to your sides as Cas moved back to where he’d been standing.

Sam was staring at you, and you glanced his way before asking, “What?”

He stammered for a response before finally shaking his head a little and saying it was nothing. The room was silent as he poured himself a cup of coffee and left the kitchen, mumbling something about doing more research.

“So,” Dean said after the sound of Sam’s footsteps had disappeared. “How come you didn’t say who you really were?” He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the counter, staring you down.

Shrugging, you poured yourself a mug of coffee, emptying the pot Sam had taken his own cup from. “I don’t believe in soulmates. It’s made up. Plus, you had the chance to tell him, too, and clearly you didn’t think it was necessary, so why should I?”

“Soulmates are as real as you and me,” Cas replied, his voice hard.

“With all due respect, I disagree,” you said. You took a sip of your coffee, holding the mug with one hand as you opened the fridge and looked inside. When nothing caught your interest, you let it fall shut and looked over at Dean, who was watching you carefully. “You have cereal or anything? I’m starving.”

“You can eat when you’ve answered the rest of my questions,” he answered, and you narrowed your eyes at him in response. “How long have you been hunting?”

“Since the Switch.”

“And how did you find Cas? Sammy’s been in hiding for a long time. No one should have recognized him, which means that either you meeting up with him was an accident or—”

“Or he found me,” you interrupted, annoyed that Dean would assume the worst of you, though you didn’t blame him. “Would you rather I told you that I’ve been tracking you guys for a long time and now I’m posing as sweet little Y/N in order to influence the two of you and get you killed? That would make all of this a lot easier for you, wouldn’t? You could just kill me or lock me up in some room in this underground maze of yours. Well, I hate to break it to you, but Cas was the one who found me, and now you’re stuck with me. So either you let me have the cereal, or I go out and find the nearest demon and let them know where your cute little batcave is.” You set your mug down on the nearest counter, crossing your arms over your chest as you stared at him, waiting for his answer.

Dean’s gaze didn’t falter. Finally, he let out a quiet scoff and looked over at Cas, a small smile on his lips. “She’s really is Sammy’s soulmate, isn’t she?”

Cas nodded, the corner of his lips lifting in the smallest of smiles. “Soulmates are perfect for each other, despite their differences. For example, Y/N would probably enjoy your music much more than she would enjoy Sam’s.”

“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here!” you spat. “I’m not some kid. I’m just as much an adult as the two of you, and I’m not going to have my life decided by two men who think that they know me.”

“Sweetheart,” Dean started, looking back over at you, “we’re not deciding your life. You wanna leave? Fine. Good luck out there without any gear.”

Glaring at him, your mind raced to come up with a witty response. There was none to be found, and finally you looked away, picking up your mug again and taking a sip to fill the silence. Nobody said anything for a long time, and you were just about to ask Cas if he would show you around when Dean set a box of generic cereal on the counter next to you.

“It’s a little stale, but it’s better than nothing. We haven’t heard from our contacts in a while and we’re running out of food. Don’t waste any of it. Could be awhile before we can restock.”

You nodded once and held onto your mug with both hands as Dean left the room. Once he was gone, you set down your coffee and picked up the box, looking over the words printed on the cardboard.

“Dean’s not as bad as he seems,” Cas offered, and you lifted your head to look at him. “He’s just been through a lot, and he’s still angry at me for possessing his brother.”

“I thought Sam agreed to being possessed?”

“It’s… complicated. He agreed, but under false pretenses. He didn’t know that I would be leaving to find you.”

You nodded again and looked down at the cereal. “I don’t suppose you could show me where the bowls are?” you asked, holding it up with a small smile. Cas returned the gesture and you relaxed slightly, gratefully taking the ceramic bowl when he held it out to you.

“How come you didn’t tell Sam who I am?” you asked once the two of you had settled at the small table near the wall, you with your cereal and coffee and Cas with nothing.

Cas sighed and smoothed the black slacks he was wearing.

_It’s weird to see him in something other than jeans and flannel, _you thought as you took a bite of your breakfast.

“It’s complicated,” he explained.

“You said that already,” you replied as you chewed.

Cas sighed again and glanced at the clock on the wall. “I try not to meddle in Sam and Dean’s love lives.”

“I’m not buying that, Cas. I don’t think you’re the meddling kind in the first place, but if Sam and I are meant to be or whatever, that’s not really meddling. It’s just… speeding up the process.”

“Maybe,” he said. “But Sam’s had many people tell him what his fate is going to be. This is something he needs to discover on his own.”

“Don’t you think he’ll be mad when he finds out all three of us knew and we didn’t tell him?”

“Would you be mad?” You shrugged. “I’m not a fortune teller, Y/N. I don’t know how and when Sam will find out, and I don’t know how he will react, but the two of you are meant to be together. Even if you didn’t meet on earth, your heavens would be together.” Before you could ask what he meant by heavens, plural, he continued, “If you want to tell Sam, you can, but that decision isn’t up to me, or to Dean.”

You mulled over his words as you finished your bowl of cereal. By the time you’d taken the last bite, Dean had come and gone, taking two bottles of beer with him, and Cas had moved to stand by the sink.

“What if I decide that I don’t want Sam to be my soulmate?” you asked as you placed your empty bowl in the sink. Cas’ eyebrows raised when you looked over at him, his eyes full of surprise. “I mean, I still don’t believe in all this fate and soulmate stuff, Cas. Free will exists for a reason. What if I decide to leave and never come back? What if I _choose_ not to be soulmates with him?”

“You can’t choose who your soulmate is. They’re predetermined, and not everyone has one. Many people would consider you lucky,” Cas told you.

You sighed. “That’s not my point.”

“If you decided to leave and never come back,” Cas said, his words slow and thoughtful as he answered, “Sam will never know how important to him you could’ve been, and you’ll never get to know Sam. You’d miss out on a lot of happiness. You’d be cheating Sam out of his own happiness, too.”

Shaking your head, you replied, “You don’t know that for sure. You said it yourself: you’re not a fortune teller. Soulmates are just a concept thought up by high-up executives who want to sell me animated princess cartoons and greeting cards with glittery hearts on them. Sam could be just as happy with any other girl you rescue, and I’ve always been fine on my own.”

“You’re missing my point,” Cas sighed.

“And you’re missing mine,” you countered. “Listen, I just… Can you show me where I can take a shower? And train? It’s been awhile since I’ve done any kind of running or anything…”

Cas nodded, grateful that you’d dropped the topic. “Follow me.”

_______________

You developed a routine after being in the bunker for a few days. You’d wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and then spend the rest of your morning training in their gymnasium. It was small, of course, and the equipment looked like it was from the forties or fifties, but it was functional. Still, what you longed for more than anything was the ability to take long runs in the open air like you had before The Switch. You were by no means a fast or an avid runner, but you’d found that a long run, or even a walk, was usually what you needed to clear your head when things got a little crazy.

After training, you’d taken to talking with Cas. He’d keep you updated on what was happening outside your underground home, and then usually tell you stories about his life. Castiel was fascinating, and despite his clunky way of speaking sometimes, you were always able to picture the things he was telling you about. It was almost as if he was using his grace to project the images into your head. Once Cas had to leave, you’d write stories of your own. Dean had found you an old laptop, and you were pleasantly surprised to find that it still worked, even if it was a bit outdated. It was nothing like the high-tech one you’d had at your old job.

Each long afternoon was spent with the laptop. You’d type up your memories, stories, and even your dreams. Anything to keep yourself occupied and out of the Winchester brothers’ ways. You didn’t want to be a burden, and more than anything you wanted to stay out of Sam’s life. Besides, the more time you spent with Sam, the more you were playing into the whole ‘soulmates’ bit that Dean and Cas were so sure about.

It was on one of these quiet afternoons that you heard a knock at your door, and you quickly slipped off the headphones you’d been listening to music through.

“Come in,” you called, using one hand to close the laptop. The door swung open and your heart skipped a nervous beat when you saw that Sam was standing in the hallway on the other side.

“Hey,” he said. “Mind if I come in?”

You nodded and set the laptop aside, shifting so you were sitting cross-legged as you gestured with one hand to the wooden desk chair you’d pushed out of the walkway. Sam gave you a polite smile and pulled it closer to the bed. He sat down and met your eyes for a brief second before looking down at his folded hands.

“You… haven’t spent a lot of time outside your room since you got here. I just wanted to see how you were holding up,” he said after a long, awkward second.

Surprised, you blinked and watched him for a moment. You hadn’t been expecting him to be _concerned_ about you. If anything, you figured the brothers would be relieved that the house guest that had been pushed upon them was keeping to herself.

“I’m… I’m fine, Sam. I didn’t want to impose on you and Dean. It wasn’t exactly your choice to have me here, so…” You trailed off, clearing your throat and looking down at the blankets you’d spread over your lap.

If you’d been watching him, you would’ve seen Sam’s eyebrows furrow, tiny wrinkles forming between them in the process. “You’re not imposing, Y/N. You live here too. This is your home now. You can go anywhere and do anything you want.”

“So if I wanted to write in all those nice books in the library, I could?” you asked. You couldn’t help but smile, and you looked up when Sam stammered out his stunned response. “Relax,” you laughed, meeting the hazel eyes you’d always associated with Cas. “I’m not gonna deface anything. I was kidding.”

Sam relaxed at your words, and you grinned at him, feeling less nervous than before. “Good. That’s, uh, that’s good,” Sam chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “You’re welcome to read any of them, if you’d like. There’s some pretty interesting lore in there, and even a few novels. Not too many, but enough to keep you busy for a while, if you’re into them.”

You nodded and offered Sam a small smile. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Sam nodded in return and the room settled into silence. You pressed your lips together when he didn’t say anything more, looking back down at your hands. When you didn’t speak any further, Sam let out a little cough and stood, saying, “I’d better get back to work. Dean and I think we have a lead on a nest of vamps that’s been using hunters…”

That piqued your interest, and you lifted your head to look up at him, silently noticing just how far you had to tilt your head back to meet his eyes. “You guys are still hunting?” you asked.

Nodding grimly, Sam answered, “We never stopped. Just because we can’t leave here doesn’t mean we aren’t still trying to help people.”

“Why can’t you leave?”

“It’s… complicated,” he replied, shifting uncomfortably.

Not wanting to push the issue right after he’d opened up his home to you, you nodded and got to your feet. “Mind if I come take a look at your research? I might know something that could help, considering I’ve been out more recently than you two have. Plus, I was in one of their holding facilities. I can tell you what they’re like, maybe the details will be useful next time you go into one.”

“What do you mean you were in one of their holding facilities?” Sam asked.

He started to walk out the door and you followed. “Cas didn’t tell you guys?” Sam shook his head in response and you sighed. “It’s a long story. I mean, not really, but…”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Sam said, looking over his shoulder at you. He stopped outside the doorway to the library you’d come in through, and you stopped as well, confused. “I know what it’s like to be a prisoner and if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, okay?”

Butterflies fluttered to life in your stomach and you internally tried to quell them, knowing that they were only there simply because Sam was being kind.

_That’s it,_ you scolded yourself. _You’re overreacting. It’s not as if no one’s ever been nice to you, Y/N._

Giving Sam a tight smile, you nodded. “It’s okay. I want to help, and if telling you what happened could help you save somebody else… I want to tell you.”

Sam nodded and smiled at you in return, gesturing for you to go into the room first. You passed by him, feeling his hand brush against the small of your back as he followed you into the library. You held back a smile as he greeted Dean and pulled out a chair for you, then settled in the one beside you. He pulled his laptop to the edge of the table and opened up a new document, the cursor blinking impatiently as he looked over at you.

“We’re ready when you are,” he said.


End file.
